City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Waterbury, CT are 8.8% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $108,800 in Waterbury, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $777 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +16.9% moving from Des Moines, IA to Waterbury, CT ($107,301 → $125,431), while prices change by +8.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.4% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (much cheaper)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Des Moines, IA | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,808 in Waterbury | $91,905 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Waterbury, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$777/yr.
43 Weak offer
Waterbury, CT → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$777/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Des Moines → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $72,737 | +7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $88,005 | +7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $105,481 | +7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $125,431 | +7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $148,222 | +7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $79,640 | $73,193 (+18.7%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $131,290 | $120,662 (−4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $93,010 | $85,481 (+7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $101,690 | $93,458 (+18.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.